A look through history

Who belongs on the team of greatest baseball players in Rangers and Astros history?

This, 2016, is the Year of the Lone Star State. At least that’s what baseball folks in and around Texas are hoping. The Texas Rangers and Houston Astros are poised to kick off what could be the best year of Texas baseball in Major League Baseball history. With that in mind, it’s time to look back at some of the all-time greats to play the game in Texas. The Dallas Morning News recently compiled its all-time Rangers/Astros team, calling on the SportsDay staff to vote for the best Ranger or Astro at each position in team history. (In the spirit of the season, we even asked the Houston Chronicle to share its team).

Some stipulations: The majority of players on the list are known for their time with either the Rangers or Astros — so even though Randy Johnson dominated the last half of the 1998 season, 11 starts in Houston is hardly enough to make this team. Additionally, voters were told to pick three outfielders regardless of position. Make sure to let us know how you feel about the picks by voting for each position, too.

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The all-time Rangers / Astros team

Click a player to view why he was chosen for the team, see honorable mentions for his position and to vote for whom you think should be on the team:

Ivan Rodriguez

Catcher

Jeff Bagwell

First base

Craig Biggio

Second base

Alex Rodriguez

Shortstop

Buddy Bell

Third base

Juan Gonzalez

Outfield

Cesar Cedeno

Outfield

Lance Berkman

Outfield

Michael Young

Utility

Ferguson Jenkins

Starting pitcher

J.R. Richard

Starting pitcher

Nolan Ryan

Starting pitcher

Billy Wagner

Closer

Ron Washington

Manager

Close

SportsDay’s Pick

Ivan Rodriguez

Catcher

Pudge Rodriguez won the American League Most Valuable Player award in 1999, the highlight of a remarkable 12-year run with the Rangers that began with his debut at age 19. In that span, Rodriguez made 10 All-Star teams and won 10 Gold Gloves to go with six Silver Sluggers.

Next best: Alan Ashby

From 1979-89, Alan Ashby handled hard-to-catch Houston staffs that had power in J.R. Richard and Nolan Ryan and trickery in knuckleballer Joe Niekro.

SportsDay’s Pick

Jeff Bagwell

First base

Obtained from Boston, Jeff Bagwell spent his 15-year major league career with Houston. He won the Rookie of the Year in 1991 and Most Valuable Player in the strike-shortened season of 1994, driving in 116 runs in 110 games. He ranks 21st all time for OPS at .948.

Next best: Rafael Palmeiro

In 10 seasons during two stays with the Rangers, Rafael Palmeiro hit 321 homers with a .519 slugging percentage. He received MVP votes five times with the club.

SportsDay’s Pick

Craig Biggio

Second base

Craig Biggio started more than 250 games at three positions — catcher, second base and center field — during 20 seasons in a Hall of Fame career with the Astros. Biggio and Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson are the only other players with 3,000 hits, 250 homers and 400 stolen bases.

Next best: Julio Franco

Julio Franco won the first batting title in franchise history by hitting .341 in 1991. In 1989-91, Franco annually made the All-Star team and won the Silver Slugger.

SportsDay’s Pick

Alex Rodriguez

Shortstop

Brought in on a record-setting contract, Alex Rodriguez had the best three-year performance in Rangers history. In 2001-03, Rodriguez made three All-Star teams and won three Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves. He won the MVP in 2003 and finished second and sixth in the other seasons.

Next best: Dickie Thon

In 1983, Dickie Thon had the best season ever by a shortstop in Astros history and finished seventh in the MVP voting. A beaning the next season undermined his career.

SportsDay’s Pick

Buddy Bell

Third base

Before Adrian Beltre, there was Buddy Bell with the Rangers. From 1979-84, Bell annually won a Gold Glove to go with four All-Star selections. Bell also received MVP votes five times, with a high of 10th in 1979. He has the third-highest WAR rating in franchise history at 31.0.

Next best: Doug Rader

Doug Rader flashed power, hitting 20-plus homers three times in nine seasons with the Astros. He made his mark on defense, annually winning the Gold Glove in 1970-74.

SportsDay’s Pick

Juan Gonzalez

Outfield #1

The Rangers reached the postseason for the first time in 1996. Juan Gonzalez keyed the historic performance by driving in 144 runs and winning the first of his two Most Valuable Player awards. He is the franchise leader in homers with 372 and RBIs with 1,180.

Next best: Jose Cruz

The spacious Astrodome worked against Jose Cruz during 13 seasons with Houston, but he still hit .297 with a .789 OPS with the club.

SportsDay’s Pick

Cesar Cedeno

Outfield #2

From 1972-76, Cesar Cedeno won five Gold Gloves and received four All-Star selections. Cedeno had three seasons (1972-74) with 20 homers and 50 steals. Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson is the only player to have done that four times. Hall of Famer Joe Morgan also did it three times.

Next best: Jimmy Wynn

Jimmy Wynn was ahead of his time. He hit for power, with seven 20-plus homer seasons with Houston, but also took his walks. He had more than 100 walks three times with the club.

SportsDay’s Pick

Lance Berkman

Outfield #3

Lance Berkman combined the elements of patience and power at the plate. He is the Astros’ all-time leader in on-base percentage at .410 and slugging percentage at .549. Berkman drove in more than 100 runs six times in 12 seasons with the club.

Next best: Ruben Sierra

A three-time All-Star with the Rangers, Ruben Sierra finished second to Milwaukee’s Robin Yount in the 1989 MVP race at age 23.

SportsDay’s Pick

Ferguson Jenkins

Starting pitcher #1

Only knuckleballer Charlie Hough worked more complete games for the Rangers than Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins, who had 90 in only 190 starts during six seasons with the club. Jenkins led the American League in wins with 25 and complete games with 29 in 1974.

Next best: Kenny Rogers

Kenny Rogers, a converted reliever, had five seasons with 200-plus innings during a total of 12 seasons with the Rangers. Only Charlie Hough had more, with eight.

SportsDay’s Pick

J.R. Richard

Starting pitcher #2

From 1976-80, National League hitters often caught the “Richard flu’’ when scheduled to face Astros right-hander J.R. Richard. In that span, Richard led the league in strikeouts twice and ERA once. He still holds the club record for strikeouts in a season with 313 in 1979.

Next best: Mike Scott

Mike Scott and his split-finger fastball won the Cy Young with a league-best 2.22 ERA in 1986. He had 86 wins for the Astros from 1986-89.

SportsDay’s Pick

Nolan Ryan (Astros)

Starting pitcher #3

Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan added another dominant element to the Houston rotation. From 1980-88, Ryan led the National League in ERA and strikeouts twice and fewest hits-per-nine-innings four times. Ryan had one of his seven career no-hitters while with the Astros.

Next best: Nolan Ryan (Rangers)

Nolan Ryan joined the Rangers for the 1989 season at age 42 and had two no-hitters while leading league in strikeouts twice in his first three seasons.

SportsDay’s Pick

Billy Wagner

Closer

A smallish left-hander, Billy Wagner overwhelmed hitters with a consistent high-90 mph fastball. As the Astros’ closer from 1997-2003, Wagner had 216 saves. He had 118 saves in 129 chances in 2001-03 for a better conversion rate than that of the heralded Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees.

Next best: John Wetteland

John Wetteland is the Rangers’ all-time leader for saves with 150 in 177 chances from 1997-2000. The club reached the playoffs twice in his run.

SportsDay’s Pick

Michael Young

Utility

Michael Young started more than 400 games at second, shortstop and third with the Rangers. He made the All-Star team as a shortstop five times, at third base once and as an all-purpose infielder once. He is the all-time franchise leader in hits with 2,230.

Next best: Rusty Staub

Rusty Staub started at first base and each outfield position during six seasons with the Astros. Le Grand Orange was a two-time All-Star for the club.

Ron Washington

Manager

In 2007, Ron Washington took over a Rangers club that had had one winning record in seven seasons. By 2010, the Rangers had reached the World Series for the first time, and they returned the next year. Washington leads the franchise in games and wins by a manager.

Next best: Larry Dierker

Houston reached the playoffs four times from 1997-2001 under pitcher-turned-broadcaster-turned manager Larry Dierker. He was among the first managers to use analytics.